Should You Buy Paylocity Holding Corp (PCTY) Today? Analysis, Price Targets, and 2026 Outlook.
Analysis Updated At
2026/01/30
Not a good buy right now. PCTY is in a confirmed downtrend (bearish moving-average stack and worsening MACD) and is trading below near-term support (~133.6) with the next support around ~129.5. With no Intellectia buy signals today and earnings approaching (2026-02-05), the risk of near-term downside/whipsaw is higher than the reward for an impatient entry.
Technical Analysis
Trend is bearish. Moving averages are stacked negatively (SMA_200 > SMA_20 > SMA_5), signaling persistent downside momentum. MACD histogram is negative (-0.947) and expanding lower, confirming weakening momentum rather than stabilization. RSI_6 is ~21.7 (oversold/washed-out), which can precede a short bounce, but oversold alone is not a buy signal when MACD is still deteriorating. Key levels: Pivot ~140.38 (major reclaim level to improve structure); resistance R1 ~147.11. Price (~132.15 pre-market) is below S1 ~133.64, increasing the odds of a test of S2 ~129.48 if buyers don’t step in quickly.
Analyst Ratings and Price Target Trends
Recent analyst trend is mixed but still net-positive. Multiple firms maintained/initiated Buy/Outperform/Overweight ratings with targets mostly in the ~$180–$245 range (BTIG $180 Buy; Guggenheim upgraded to Buy $180; TD Cowen Buy with targets raised/cut over time; BMO Outperform; Cantor Overweight; JMP Outperform). Offsetting that, Stephens recently lowered its target to $160 and kept Equal Weight (more cautious). Wall Street pros: (Pros) expectation for sentiment recovery, potential for beat-and-raise cadence, product/integration upside, and capital return support. (Cons) multiple compression risk in software, growth/ex-float sensitivity to employment/macro, and recent profitability not showing clear acceleration.
Wall Street analysts forecast PCTY stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for PCTY is 197.07 USD with a low forecast of 164 USD and a high forecast of 250 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
Wall Street analysts forecast PCTY stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for PCTY is 197.07 USD with a low forecast of 164 USD and a high forecast of 250 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
Current: 140.690
Current: 140.690
